Read to Lead Podcast Jeff Brown

Mastery is considered by some to be an illusive concept. I hope to dispel that rumor once and for all with this short, concise, and easy-to-follow episode, all about mastery and self-improvement (our theme this month inside the Read to Lead Community).







To join us for future AMAs and Guest Expert sessions, or to peruse our entire library free for two weeks, go here.







Okay, let’s dive right in!















Whether it’s a professional skill or a personal hobby, the journey to mastery is something we all can embark on. Let’s explore what it takes to achieve it.







To guide us on this journey, we’ll be drawing from the wisdom of great minds like Richard Feynman, Scott H. Young, and other experts who have devoted their lives to understanding learning and mastery.







So, grab your notebook and let’s get started.







Click the play button below to listen to the episode















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Segment 1: Understanding Mastery







First things first, what exactly do we mean by mastery? Mastery isn’t just about being good at something; it’s about continuously improving and pushing the boundaries of what you know and can do. It’s the difference between being a good pianist and a concert pianist, between a hobbyist photographer and a professional one.







Richard Feynman, the brilliant physicist, had a unique approach to learning that we can all benefit from. He believed in deep understanding, rather than rote memorization. This is famously encapsulated in what’s called the ‘Feynman Technique.’







“Nearly everything is really interesting if you go into it deeply enough”.







“Study hard what interests you the most, in the most undisciplined, irreverent and original manner possible”.







The Feynman Technique is a four-step process:









* Choose a Concept: Pick the topic or skill you want to learn.







* Teach It to a Child: Explain it in simple terms as if you’re teaching it to a child. This forces you to understand it deeply.







* Identify Gaps: When you struggle to explain something, you’ve found a gap in your knowledge.







* Review and Simplify: Go back to the source material, fill in the gaps, and then simplify your explanation again.









This technique is powerful because it pushes you to understand concepts at a fundamental level.







Segment 2: Practical Steps to Mastery







Now that we have a grasp on what mastery is and a technique to deepen our understanding, let’s talk about practical steps to get better at anything. Scott H. Young, in his book ‘Ultralearning,’ provides a roadmap that we can follow.







Here are some key strategies from his work:









* Metalearning: Before you dive in, spend some time understanding how learning works. Figure out the best methods,

Welcome, welcome, welcome! You’re listening to the Read to Lead Podcast, and I’m your host, Jeff Brown. Today is an incredibly special day because we’re celebrating 11 years of this podcast! 🎉







Over the years, we’ve had the privilege of speaking with some of the brightest minds and discussing some of the most transformative books out there.













So, in honor of our 11th anniversary, I thought it would be fitting to look back at 11 of the most influential books I’ve read since starting this journey. Each of these books has left a lasting impact on me and, I hope, on you too.







Let’s dive right in, shall we? For a complete list of the books, just scroll down.







Click the play button below to listen to the episode















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Our first stop is way back to Episode 28 with Daniel Pink’s “To Sell is Human.” This book completely redefined my understanding of sales. Dan Pink argues that sales isn’t just for salespeople; it’s a fundamental human skill.







Whether you’re an accountant, engineer, or manager, you’re in the business of moving others. Pink introduces the new ABCs of selling: Attunement, Buoyancy, and Clarity. Attunement is about understanding and aligning with others’ perspectives.







Buoyancy keeps us afloat amidst rejection, and Clarity helps us see solutions more clearly. One of the most surprising insights was that ambiverts, not extroverts, are the best salespeople because they balance listening and assertiveness.







Next, let’s talk about Greg McKeown’s “Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less,” from Episode 52.







This book is a game-changer for anyone feeling overwhelmed by the demands of modern life. Greg teaches us that by focusing on the vital few instead of the trivial many, we can achieve more meaningful success.







He shares a personal story about missing the birth of his daughter due to work commitments, which really drove home the importance of prioritizing what’s truly essential. His three-step process: exploring and evaluating options, eliminating the non-essential, and executing essential tasks effortlessly, has been a blueprint for my own productivity.







Episode 68 introduced us to Hal Elrod and “The Miracle Morning.” Hal’s morning routine is designed to set a positive tone for the rest of the day. His lifesavers—Silence, Affirmations, Visualization, Exercise, Reading, and Scribing—are simple yet powerful practices that anyone can integrate into their morning routine.







Hal’s personal story of overcoming a near-fatal accident and financial ruin is incredibly inspiring. His message is clear: by starting our day with intention and purpose,

Adele Gambardella, a celebrated PR strategist and crisis management consultant, has worked with major clients like Facebook and President Joe Biden, and has been honored as a “Woman Who Means Business” by the Washington Business Journal.













Chip Massey, a former FBI hostage negotiator, brings his expertise from 20+ years in law enforcement to the business world, teaching sophisticated negotiation techniques to leaders at companies like Goldman Sachs and Samsung.







Together, they combine their unique backgrounds to offer unparalleled insights into negotiation and communication strategies.







From CEOs communicating with board members to managers negotiating salary increases and entrepreneurs looking to raise capital, it’s impossible to overstate the role of persuasion in making your personal and professional goals a reality, say Adele and Chip.







The ability to convince others―respectfully and effectively―is one of the most important skills you can master, whatever your profession.







In Convince Me, you’ll find eye-opening, behind-the-scenes details revealing how some of the best in the business ply their trade.







I hope you’ll click the play button below to learn more about Adele and Chip and their work. For a summary, just keep scrolling.







Join in on our chat below















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In today’s episode, I ask Adele and Chip about:









* Reframing problems as opportunities in order to achieve better outcomes







* Characteristics of good questions, and how can we train ourselves to ask them more consistently







* How to approach experimentation (and the fear of failure) with a more positive and growth-oriented mindset







* And lots more!









Order Adele and Chip’s Book







You can order your copy of Convince Me: High-Stakes Negotiation Tactics to Get Results in any Business Situation right now!







Consider Ordering My Book Too!







Purchase a copy of my new book (written with Jesse Wisnewski) Read to Lead: The Simple Habit That Expands Your Influence and Boosts Your Career. There, you can also download the introduction and first chapter for free!







Note-Making Mastery Cohort AND the Read to Lead Community







Note-Making Mastery Cohort is now available as a self-paced course! Check it out.







Also, consider giving ReadtoLead+ a try free for two weeks!

Wouldn’t you love to sit down and have a chat with the person who was Google’s first Chief Innovation Evangelist? I know I would. Wait?!













That just happens to describe my guest today. His name is Dr. Frederik G. Pferdt. And his new book is called What’s Next Is Now: How to Live Future Ready.







Rather than bracing for what happens next, Frederik argues that you can be making what happens next. You can respond to unexpected challenges, big and small, by turning them into opportunities with a “future-ready mindstate”.







Frederik’s book engages your personal sense of discovery, providing dozens of thoughtful exercises and illustrations, real-world practices, and provocative insight from people who have adopted a future-ready mindstate to craft exceptional futures for themselves.







I hope you’ll click the play button below to learn more about Frederik and his work. For a summary, just keep scrolling.







Join in on our chat below















Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | RSS















In today’s episode, I ask Frederik about:









* Reframing problems as opportunities in order to achieve better outcomes







* Characteristics of good questions, and how can we train ourselves to ask them more consistently







* How to approach experimentation (and the fear of failure) with a more positive and growth-oriented mindset







* And lots more!









Order Frederik’s Book







You can order your copy of What’s Next Is Now: How to Live Future Ready right now!







Consider Ordering My Book Too!







Purchase a copy of my new book (written with Jesse Wisnewski) Read to Lead: The Simple Habit That Expands Your Influence and Boosts Your Career. There, you can also download the introduction and first chapter for free!







Note-Making Mastery Cohort AND the Read to Lead Community







Note-Making Mastery Cohort is now available as a self-paced course! Check it out.







Also, consider giving ReadtoLead+ a try free for two weeks!







Books Frederik Recommends







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Check Out These Additional Resources







Grab a copy of Frederik’s book now.







Check out this a href="https://www.frederikgpferdt.com/#contact" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="websit...

I’m a sucker for a well-researched book, especially when that book is on the topic of learning effectively.













My guest today wrote a book you may have heard of. It’s the Wall Street Journal bestseller called Ultralearning. It’s a book that I often recommend to students of my Note-Making Mastery course.







His name is Scott H. Young, and Scott’s got a new book out called Get Better at Anything: 12 Maxims for Mastery.







Scott says that when we’re able to learn from the example of other people, practice extensively ourselves, and get reliable feedback, rapid progress results.







Yet, when one, or all, of these factors is inhibited, improvement often becomes impossible. Using research and real-life examples, Scott breaks down these elements into twelve simple maxims.







Whether you’re a student studying for an exam, an employee facing a new skill at work, or just want to get better at something you’re interested in, Scott’s insights will help you do it better.







I hope you’ll click the play button below to learn more about Scott and his work. For a summary, just keep scrolling.







Join in on our chat below















Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | RSS















In today’s episode, I ask Scott about:









* How what we learn from others impacts the complexity of the problems we can solve







* Imitation as the seed to original work







* The role courage plays in mastery







* And lots more!









Order Scott’s Book







You can order your copy of Get Better at Anything: 12 Maxims for Mastery right now!







Consider Ordering My Book Too!







Purchase a copy of my new book (written with Jesse Wisnewski) Read to Lead: The Simple Habit That Expands Your Influence and Boosts Your Career. There, you can also download the introduction and first chapter for free!







Note-Making Mastery Cohort AND the Read to Lead Community







Note-Making Mastery Cohort is now available as a self-paced course! Check it out.







Also, consider giving ReadtoLead+ a try free for two weeks!







Books Scott Recommends







Getting Things Done by David Allen







Deep Work by Cal Newport

There’s productivity. There’s time management. And then there’s managing priorities.













We often lump managing priorities in with these other areas but, in reality, effectively managing priorities is a discipline all to itself and one that, frankly, is rarely—if ever—approached holistically.







Until now.







My guest this week is Harry Max, author of Managing Priorities: How to Create Better Plans and Make Smarter Decisions (use the code READ20 for 20% off at this link).







Managing Priorities is your guide to prioritizing anything—anytime and anywhere.







Harry digs into the best practices for prioritization at Apple, DreamWorks, NASA, Adobe, Google, Microsoft, and beyond, and brings them together in a single, practical method that you can apply step by step.







Every business person who is even remotely interested in prioritization should read this book.







Whatever you need to prioritize—tasks, goals, OKRs, projects—this book is for you. Specific chapters are dedicated to what needs to happen and when for individuals, teams, and whole organizations.







I hope you’ll click the play button below to learn more about Harry and his work. For a summary, just keep scrolling.







Join in on our chat below















Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | RSS















In today’s episode, I ask Harry about:









* How his DEGAP process model helps us become more intentional about our priorities







* The distinction between “episodic” and “periodic” prioritization







* The importance of identifying and prioritizing our “avoidances”







* And lots more!









Order Harry’s Book







You can order your copy of Managing Priorities: How to Create Better Plans and Make Smarter Decisions right now (use the code READ20 for 20% off at this link)!







Consider Ordering My Book Too!







Purchase a copy of my new book (written with Jesse Wisnewski) Read to Lead: The Simple Habit That Expands Your Influence and Boosts Your Career. There, you can also download the introduction and first chapter for free!







Note-Making Mastery Cohort AND the Read to Lead Community







Note-Making Mastery Cohort is now available as a self-paced course! Check it out.







Also, consider giving ReadtoLead+ a try free ...